After flooding in Texas, a report indicated that nearly two-thirds of calls to FEMA's disaster assistance line went unanswered due to the agency's firing of hundreds of contractors. On July 6, FEMA answered 35.8 percent of calls, and only 15.9 percent on July 7. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who needed to approve contract renewals, denied reports of staffing issues, asserting that every available employee was answering calls. The delays in contract renewals called into question FEMA's preparedness and response during the crisis.
Nearly two-thirds of calls to FEMA's disaster assistance line went unanswered following catastrophic flooding in Texas. FEMA's call center faced severe staffing issues after contractors were not renewed.
On July 6, FEMA answered only 846 out of 2,363 calls. The following day, only 2,613 out of 16,419 calls were answered, reflecting a significant response gap during a crisis.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem denied the report of contract issues, affirming that no employees were off work and all calls were being answered, labeling the claims as "false reporting."
The delay in renewing contracts for call center contractors raised questions about FEMA's preparedness, particularly as disaster calls surged immediately after flooding.
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